{"id":88852,"date":"2026-07-30T11:54:12","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T01:54:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/?p=88852"},"modified":"2026-07-30T11:54:13","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T01:54:13","slug":"redrafting-the-2024-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/2026\/07\/redrafting-the-2024-draft\/","title":{"rendered":"Redrafting the 2024 Draft"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Just two years after a \u201clegacy\u201d draft, where Richmond had four picks in the top 15 including the first overall pick, <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AFL\/status\/2081178939301539992\">the Tigers are 2-17 and below an Essendon team in the middle of an identity crisis that Steve Carell in <em>Crazy Stupid Love <\/em>would be embarrassed by.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Poor skill execution is dearly hurting Richmond, according to head coach Adem Yze.<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/nNywSM4uAF\">https:\/\/t.co\/nNywSM4uAF<\/a><\/p>&mdash; AFL (@AFL) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AFL\/status\/2081178939301539992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 26, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AFL\/status\/2080974101250793926\">With the senior pillars of the club fading, in particular Nathan Broad, the young players taken highly in the 2024 draft either aren\u2019t playing or aren\u2019t stepping up.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Sam Lalor from 50 \ud83d\ude80<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/AFLDogsTigers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#AFLDogsTigers<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/HYlsL4sljm\">pic.twitter.com\/HYlsL4sljm<\/a><\/p>&mdash; AFL (@AFL) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AFL\/status\/2080974101250793926?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 25, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RonnyLerner\/status\/2080990419979276542\">This week their embarrassment was to the Bulldogs, against whom they lost by 57 in one of the more competitive outings for the year.<\/a> The Tigers\u2019 percentage of 60.9 is the worst in club history. The second worst was 2024. The third worst was 1909.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Richmond now 9-56 under Yze. This was their eighth 50+ point loss of the season and 22nd all up since the start of 2024. So every third game under Yze has ended in a loss of 50+ points. Alarming numbers <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/AFLDogsTigers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#AFLDogsTigers<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Ronny Lerner (@RonnyLerner) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RonnyLerner\/status\/2080990419979276542?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 25, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I am a Richmond fan and I\u2019m not angry, I\u2019m just checked out. Actually, that\u2019s a lie. I got angry when I looked at the injury report heading into the Bulldogs game and saw Josh Smillie, Richmond\u2019s pick 7 from the 2024 draft, downgraded from \u201creturn in rounds 22-24\u201d to \u201cSeason\u201d.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Smillie has not played a single game for the Tigers since being taken as a Tom Green clone and can\u2019t seem to be able to get through one single drop punt with a full sized ball without getting himself injured.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AFLcomau\/status\/2067817429967790247\">He\u2019s going to go down as an all-time calamitous pick among a sea of them if he can\u2019t get himself on the park soon.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Adem Yze gives Richmond supporters some positive news on two of the club&#39;s exciting youngsters <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/YBfL41Xu9f\">https:\/\/t.co\/YBfL41Xu9f<\/a><\/p>&mdash; AFL.com.au (@AFLcomau) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AFLcomau\/status\/2067817429967790247?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 19, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Anyway, two years on and with an idea of who from this draft can play and who can\u2019t, let\u2019s redraft the 2024 AFL draft nearly two full years on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Murphy Reid (16) &#8211; Richmond<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Actual pick: Sam Lalor<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If Murphy Reid played in Melbourne, he\u2019d be talked about like Nick Daicos. This guy is prodigious. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=IFzZLY79uLM\">He\u2019s Guy McKendrick before getting his foot chopped off by that lawnmower.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AFL\/status\/2080622128877953076\">In his second year, among players who have played every game, he is third in score involvements and second among mid-forwards in scoreboard impact.<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Murphy Reid you star \ud83e\udd29<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/AFLFreoEagles?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#AFLFreoEagles<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ljq3Jy4ssk\">pic.twitter.com\/ljq3Jy4ssk<\/a><\/p>&mdash; AFL (@AFL) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AFL\/status\/2080622128877953076?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 24, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Alongside Josh Smillie, his game in the Derby is the other thing that got me thinking about this piece. He had 26, 2 goals, and 8 score involvements as players like him and Connor Macdonald reshape that mid\/forward connectivity player that has defined the last decade of the AFL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Jobe Shanahan (30) \u2013 North Melbourne<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Actual pick: Finn O\u2019Sullivan<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have a key position player bias and Shanahan is the best of the key position players drafted in 2024.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AFL\/status\/2078452684835655860\">He\u2019s worked his way up from pick 30 to pick 2 by virtue of playing every game this year and managing to go at better than a goal a game \u2013 26 for the year \u2013 in the third lowest scoring team in the competition.<\/a> That\u2019s more than can be said for Jonty Faull or Harry Armstrong, both of whom were taken much earlier than him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">How about this grab from Jobe Shanahan? \ud83e\udd32<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/AFLEaglesLions?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#AFLEaglesLions<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/TnaGZN4QTL\">pic.twitter.com\/TnaGZN4QTL<\/a><\/p>&mdash; AFL (@AFL) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AFL\/status\/2078452684835655860?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 18, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/FilmUpdates\/status\/2079703859073814531\">His relationship with Cooper Duff-Tytler threatens to be a bit Matt and Ben with the way it could define footy for the next decade.<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Matt Damon says Ben Affleck was the first to find out he\u2019d been cast in \u2018THE ODYSSEY\u2019 after his wife didn\u2019t pick up the phone<br><br>\u201cI was on the phone with him for about 30 minutes&#8230; they were at the office in LA. I hung up with him and my wife texted me: \u2018Why didn&#39;t you tell me\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/fBWR5KBteK\">pic.twitter.com\/fBWR5KBteK<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/FilmUpdates\/status\/2079703859073814531?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 21, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"3\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Sam Lalor (1) &#8211; Carlton<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Actual pick: Jagga Smith<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is where the original pick 1 goes. I really tossed up whether it\u2019s Shanahan or Lalor at 2, but ultimately I picked Shanahan because of Lalor\u2019s injury issues. He\u2019s played just 20 games for his career, while Shanahan has played 19 this season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lalor is extremely talented, however. <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AFL\/status\/2037783930514935938\">He\u2019s powerful and smart, with a pair of hands that puts the vast majority of his teammates at the Tigers to shame<\/a>. His body just needs to be managed better than it has been, which is true for virtually every Richmond player.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Don&#39;t argue with Sam Lalor \ud83d\ude24<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/AFLFreoTigers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#AFLFreoTigers<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/AdRWfCDb5I\">pic.twitter.com\/AdRWfCDb5I<\/a><\/p>&mdash; AFL (@AFL) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AFL\/status\/2037783930514935938?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 28, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"4\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Jagga Smith (3) \u2013 Adelaide\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Actual pick: Sid Draper<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jagga Smith is not my favourite archetype of player by a long way. He\u2019s an accumulator, isn\u2019t damaging enough, and is more of a grinder than an explosive player.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AFL\/status\/2078424266840654273\">But at 20 years old and off an ACL, he\u2019s entered the AFL with 25 touches and six score involvements a game.<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Jagga Smith gives the Blues their first lead of the night \ud83e\udd29<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/AFLPiesBlues?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#AFLPiesBlues<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/92eb9GHVRy\">pic.twitter.com\/92eb9GHVRy<\/a><\/p>&mdash; AFL (@AFL) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AFL\/status\/2078424266840654273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 18, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>While I prioritise damage in my view of players, Smith has to be the next picked here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"5\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Finn O\u2019Sullivan (2) \u2013 Brisbane (F\/S)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Actual pick: Levi Ashcroft<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If Jagga Smith isn\u2019t my kind of guy, Finn O\u2019Sullivan is. <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AFL\/status\/2079529595850850454\">He\u2019s calm under pressure, always seems to have time, is a beautiful ball user, and has shown himself to be equally adept in shutdown roles as he is at getting his own footy.<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">EXCLUSIVE: Finn O&#39;Sullivan is set to re-sign with the Roos despite huge interest from the Devils, <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/CalTwomey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@CalTwomey<\/a> reports.<br><br>More details: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/IoexwLua4C\">https:\/\/t.co\/IoexwLua4C<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ywxc84JzHc\">pic.twitter.com\/ywxc84JzHc<\/a><\/p>&mdash; AFL (@AFL) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AFL\/status\/2079529595850850454?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 21, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>However, he\u2019s not a massive disposal player and can get lost at times in a way that Smith basically never does.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"6\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Harvey Langford (6) &#8211; Melbourne<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Actual pick: Harvey Langford<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first pick that stays as it was in the original draft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Harvey Langford is doing an Ollie Dempsey impression this year, with Steven King apparently just copying his own homework at Geelong. <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MelbourneFooty\/status\/2045816549060362381\">Langford has license to slide forward deep and cheat whenever he wants as Melbourne hunts space like a truffle pig and has kicked 20 goals for the year.<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Harvey Langford with what was the eventual winning goal. <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/AFLDeesLions?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#AFLDeesLions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/JGPmhOBo5x\">pic.twitter.com\/JGPmhOBo5x<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Melbourne Footy (@MelbourneFooty) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MelbourneFooty\/status\/2045816549060362381?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 19, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>While he was good in his first year, King has found the perfect role for him. He wouldn\u2019t fit necessarily in every system, but he certainly does in this one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"7\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Harry O\u2019Farrell (40) &#8211; Richmond<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Actual pick: Josh Smillie<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It feels cruel to take a player who is currently injured in Josh Smillie\u2019s spot, but this pick does two things.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Firstly, it reflects how good Harry O\u2019Farrell was down back for Carlton when he played at the end of 2024. Secondly, it reflects Richmond\u2019s need for defenders as they head toward a season where they\u2019re giving up 106 points a game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"8\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Taj Hotton (12) \u2013 St Kilda<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Actual pick: Tobie Travaglia<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While he, like most Richmond picks from this draft, has had injury problems, Taj Hotton is a freak show.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AFL\/status\/2073374405011423543\">He has at times remarkable hands and timing he just hasn\u2019t played enough.<\/a> With Hotton in particular, this issue was predictable as he had injury problems cruel him as a youngster which dropped him down to pick 12 in the national draft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">&quot;Taj Hotton, remember the name!&quot;<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/AFLTigersBlues?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#AFLTigersBlues<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/IU9hL8DqiQ\">pic.twitter.com\/IU9hL8DqiQ<\/a><\/p>&mdash; AFL (@AFL) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AFL\/status\/2073374405011423543?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 4, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"9\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Levi Ashcroft (5) \u2013 Gold Coast<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Actual pick: Leo Lombard<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A bit like Jagga Smith, Levi Ashcroft isn\u2019t my favourite kind of player. He lacks explosion from stoppage and can be a bit slow of mind, but he\u2019s playing every week in one of the best teams in the competition and is contributing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br>He has to be a top-10 pick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"10\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Isaac Kako (13) \u2013 St Kilda<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Actual pick: Alix Tauru<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AFL\/status\/2048584107693949172\">The draft has started to drop off pretty significantly by this point, but Kako has shown enough electricity through his career to become a top-10 pick despite injuries.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Isaac Kako will be missing in the short-to-medium term after scans confirmed a stress injury\u00a0in his back. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/siyuZxbEaJ\">pic.twitter.com\/siyuZxbEaJ<\/a><\/p>&mdash; AFL (@AFL) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AFL\/status\/2048584107693949172?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 27, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>One thing to note is that, like Japan in WWII, the Saints are lucky there was someone worse in 2024. They missed two picks in the top-10 in this draft, it\u2019s just that Richmond missed them worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"11\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Xavier Lindsay (11) \u2013 Melbourne\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Actual pick: Xavier Lindsay&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another bang on the bullseye for the Dees in this draft. Xavier Lindsay is not a brilliant player, and unlike Harvey Langford probably doesn\u2019t have genuine star potential, but was a good gap filler in midfield in his first year.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lindsay is a Stephen Root style character actor, where Langford is more of a Buscemi where there is the potential to ascend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While his second year has been interrupted, I find it hard to believe Melbourne would pick someone else ahead of him at this point in the draft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"12\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Leo Lombard (9) \u2013 Richmond\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Actual pick: Taj Hotton<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, now we know he\u2019s going to tell you what he thinks.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/FOXFOOTY\/status\/2080914973681922269\">Lombard has freakish talents but, as Christian Petracca pointed out, he is occasionally selfish and does not work hard enough defensively as a small forward.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\u201c(Had) a word for a teammate that wasn\u2019t appreciated \u2026\u201d<br><br>Leo Lombard got pinged holding the ball in the fourth quarter and appeared to have choice words for a fellow Sun. <br><br>FULL <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/AFLBluesSuns?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#AFLBluesSuns<\/a> WRAP: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/iSdYADCrk8\">https:\/\/t.co\/iSdYADCrk8<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/zgOwXvYQFm\">pic.twitter.com\/zgOwXvYQFm<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/FOXFOOTY\/status\/2080914973681922269?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 25, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"13\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Luke Trainor (21) &#8211; Essendon<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Actual pick: Isaac Kako&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Luke Trainor looked a good player in his first year and a better coach would have been able to use his rare footy smarts and ability to cover the ground.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, in this instance he\u2019s gone from Adem Yze to Brad Scott. The question of whether Yze or Scott is better seems to be a bit like current Victorian election \u2013 neither seem great!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"14\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Alix<\/strong> <strong>Tauru (10) \u2013 Richmond<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Actual pick: Jonty Faull<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I don\u2019t mind making bets on athletes and Tauru is one. He should probably stop punching people in the VFL, though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"15\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Bo Allan (16) \u2013 Port Adelaide<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Actual pick: Joe Berry<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bo Allan has some weapons out of midfield, in particular speed and length in his play. He\u2019d be a good complement to Horne-Francis and Butters (for now).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not taken: Sid Draper, Josh Smillie, Tobie Travaglia, Jonty Faull, Joe Berry<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Just two years after a \u201clegacy\u201d draft, where Richmond had four picks in the top 15 including the first overall pick, the Tigers are 2-17 and below an Essendon team in the middle of an identity crisis that Steve Carell in Crazy Stupid Love would be embarrassed by. Poor skill execution is dearly hurting Richmond, according to head coach Adem Yze.https:\/\/t.co\/nNywSM4uAF&mdash; AFL (@AFL) July 26, 2026 With the senior pillars of the club fading, in particular Nathan Broad, the young players taken highly in the 2024 draft either aren\u2019t playing or aren\u2019t stepping up. Sam Lalor from 50 \ud83d\ude80#AFLDogsTigers pic.twitter.com\/HYlsL4sljm&mdash;&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":88857,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,8298,598],"tags":[],"hub_post_cat":[],"class_list":["post-88852","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-australian-rules","category-guywholikessport","category-special-interest"],"acf":{"md_tip_date":"","md_tip_date_end":"","md_market_url":"","tip_date":"30\/07\/2026","event_country":"Australia"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88852","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/37"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=88852"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88852\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":88872,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88852\/revisions\/88872"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88857"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88852"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88852"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88852"},{"taxonomy":"hub_post_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neds.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hub_post_cat?post=88852"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}